1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to irrigation control, and more specifically to the operating instructions of programmable irrigation controller devices.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In complex central control irrigation systems, a personal computer (PC) based central controller is used to develop irrigation schedules for one or more remote satellite irrigation controllers variously located in the field and each coupled to flow control devices, such as a valves, that control the flow of water to one or more watering devices, such as sprinklers. These PC-based central controllers usually comprise a personal computer operating in accordance with an operating system, such as MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP®. A central control software application designed for the operating system of the PC is installed on the PC and executed. This central control application allows an irrigation system manager to program and manage watering schedules for one or more satellite irrigation controllers. Many central control applications account for weather information that is entered or received at the PC. Some central control applications have advanced features to assist the manager in controlling the system, such as a dry run simulation feature.
The satellite controllers or field controllers, on the other hand, are specific purpose computing devices that operate according to a specially designed operating system. In other words, these satellite irrigation controllers are not general purpose PC-based devices. The instruction set controlling the operation of the satellite controllers is derived from source code written specifically for that operating environment and which is stored as firmware in read only memory of the satellite controller. This instruction set is executed by a processor of the satellite controller to run the satellite controller. Due to the fact that the central controller and the satellite controllers run on different operating systems, simulations of the functionality of a satellite controller by the central controller can lead to inaccurate results. Typically, a satellite controller is configured to receive and execute watering schedules or watering instructions generated by the central controller. In some cases, the satellite controller is capable of functioning on its own to control irrigation when not connected to a central controller.